Label-moistener.



No. 865,159. v PATENTED SEPT.r a, 1907. H. G. CAMPBELL.

LABEL MOISTB-NER. uruouror FILED-'1120. ao. 190m Mums-snm l1.

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No. 865,159. PATBNTED SEPT. a, 19057.

\ H. e. GAMPBBLL.

LABEL MOIS'I'BNIIR.

APPLIOATIU FILED DBO. 30. 1905.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HARRY Gr. CAMPBELL OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LABEL-MOISTENER.

Application filed December 3 To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Gr. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Label-Meistener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. y

My invention relates to a device for applying a liquid adhesive substance to labels and other articles of a similar character.

"he principal objects thereof are to provide means whereby an adhesive can be applied, and which will also be suitable for applying water for moistening previously glued or pasted surfaces; furthermore, to provide for a quick and ready iiow of the moistening agent; for readily locating labels or similar articles in a position to be inoistened; for holding the same while being moistened, and for readily and automatically removing them from the moistening agent.

Further objects and features of the invention will appear below.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. V

Figure l is a plan of an instrument constructed in accordance with the principle o my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line 2-72 of Fig. l, Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the parts removed.

For the purpose of containing a liquid adhesive, wate'r or other material which is to be employed, I provide a receptacle 10. Preferably three walls of this receptacle are substantially vertical while the fourth wall 11 is inclined to permit ready access to the interior and for another purpose which will appear in connection with the description of other features. Within the receptacle is a table l2 which has a perforated top 13. This table is fixed to the bottom along two ends thereof, but its sides lll are spaced from the bottom to provide entrances 15 for a liquid, and these sides are also slanted inwardly at the bottom to permit a sheet of absorbent felt 16 or other material to hang down from the top and be free to move inwardly. This sheet serves the' purpose of a wick taking up the moisture and presenting it in such a position that it can be readily applied to a label. The top of the table 13 being perforated the application of pressure to the absorbent material in order to force the liquid against the label squeezes out some of the moisture and that falls into the interior of the receptacle under the table, which permits the moisture to be added to that in the receptacle on account of the passages 15. Above the table I place a perforated plate 17. This plate is hung on rods 18 which are of inverted U shape and are provided with collars 19 secured thereto in Specification of Letters Patent.

0,1905. Serial No. 293,907.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

any desired position by means of set screws 20. Below these collars are springs 21 resting on lugs 22 which project from the base of the receptacle, and tubular guides 23 are located within these springs and adapted to receive the rods 18. Guides 24 extend upwardly from the receptacle to receive the rods above the collars 19. It will be seen that this construction provides for permitting the plate 17 to be forced down upon the felt with suicient pressure to force the liquid from the felt through the periorations and on to the lower side of the label resting on the plate, and that when the pressure is removed the plate will be forced upwardly automatically out of reach of the felt. This Aoperation can be performed by simply placing the label on the plate and pressing the plate down with the hand which covers the label. I have provided, however, a more efIicient and cleanly means for holding the label and manipulating the plate 17. This comprises a cross bar 25 extending from one rod 18 to the other, and a platen 26 supported on a cross bar above the plate 17. This platen is mounted on a rod 27 which extends through the cross bar and is provided with a handle 28 for manipulating the whole device. A spring 29 normally holds the handle and platen up with respect to the cross bar while a collar 30 which is adjustably mounted on the rod 27 limits the movement in an upward direction.

The manner of manipulating the device is very simple. A label is placed on the plate 17 and then pressure is applied to the handle 28, as is indicated in Fig. 3. This forces the platen down on the label latter on to the absorbent material 16 so that `liquid held by the latter will be forced through the perforations in the plate and against the lower surface of the label; the pressure then being removed the platen and plate rise,` the platen rising to a higher distance than the plate, asis indicated in Fig. 2, and both operations being' automatically performed by the springs 2l and 29. The label can then be readily removed and another one introduced. The slanting wall 11 tion of the interior of the receptacle and is especially advisable when the device is to be employed without the platen 26 or, in other Words, when it is to be manipulated by placing the hand on a label resting on the plate 17 If the fingers of the operator project beyond the edge of the table they might be squeezed between the latter and the wall of the receptacle and, consequently, the slanting wall is specially desirable when the device is manipulated in this manner. While I prefer to place the table 12 in a fixed position in the receptacle it will be understood that the top 13 thereof is removably mounted on the table to permit cleaning.

While 1 have spoken of the device usually as a to hold it in position on the plate 17 and forces the` is provided in order to permit ready access to a por-` moistener it is to be understood that this term includes `the use oi the device as a glue or paste pot.

When the device is to be used without the platen 26, the cross bar is removed from the rod 18, carrying with it the platen and handle. It will be clear also that the wick may be dispensed With at times and the slant of the walls 14 is provided largely to permit a slight resiliency of the table so that when the plate 17 is pressed down the top oi the table will give slightly and allow the plate to be moistened.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein having vertical end walls and inwardly inclined side walls spaced from the bottom of the receptacle, the receptacle 'being provided with an upwardly slanting wall adjacent to one of the slanting sides of the table.

2. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein having inwardly inclined side walls spaced from the bottom ot' the receptacle, said table also having a removable perforated top, and the receptacle being provided with an upwardly slanting wall adjacent to one of said slanting sides of the table.

3. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein having vertical end vwalls secured to the bottom of the receptacle, and inwardly inclined side walls spaced from the bottom of the receptacle, said table also having a removable perforated top and the receptacle being provided with an upwardly slanting wall adjacent to one of said slanting sides of the table.

4. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein having vertical end walls'secured to the bottom of the receptacle and inwardly inclined side walls spaced from the bottom of the receptacle, said table also having a removable perforated top and the receptacle being provided with an upwardly slanting wall adjacent to one of said slanting sides of the table, and a sheet of absorbent material covering the top of the table and hanging down upon all sides into the receptacle and reaching nearly to the bottom thereof, and a movable plate for supporting labels above said absorbent material.

A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein having vertical end walls secured to the bottom of the receptacle and inwardly inclined side walls spaced from the bottom of the receptacle, said table also having a removable perforated top, the receptacle'being provided with an upwardly slanting wall adjacent to one of said slanting sides of the table, a sheet of absorbent -material covering the top of the table and hanging down upon all sides into the receptacle and reaching nearly to the bottom thereof, a movable plate for supporting labels above said absorbent material, and means for resiliently supporting the plate at a distance above the table.

G. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein, a sheet of absorbent material covering the top of the table and hanging down on all sides i'nto the receptacle and reaching nearly to the bottom thereof, a movable plate for supporting labels above said absorbent material, a plate, and means located outside the receptacle for resiliently supporting said plate at a distance above the table.

7. A.moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein extending nearly to the top of the receptacle, a plate adapted to permit the passage of a liquid therethrough, a pair of U-shaped rods for supporting said plate, a guide for one end of each rod, and resilient means for forcing said rods upwardly into said guides.

8. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein extending nearly to the top of the receptacle, a plate adapted to permit the passage of a liquid therethrough, a pair of U-shaped rods for supporting said plate, a guide for one end of each rod, a spring for forcing the rods upwardly, and a collar adjustably mounted on each rod adapted to engage the top of said spring.

D. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a perforated plate, means for resiliently supporting the plate at a distance above the receptacle, said means comprising a pair of inverted U-shaped bars, a spring for forcing them upwardly, a cross bar extending from one of said bars to the other', and a handle supported by said barforcing the plate toward the table.

10. A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a table therein, a perforated plate, means for resiliently supporting the plate at a distance above the table, a cross bar mounted on said means, a platen supported by said cross bar above the plate, a handle for said platen, and resilient means for supporting the platen on the cross bar.

l1. In a moistening machine, the combination of a receptacle, a table therein having a perforated top and means for permitting liquid to pass from it to the receptacle, a sheet of absorbent material over said table, a perfoi-ated plate,' means for supporting said plate above the table and automatically forcing it away from the table, a platen above the plate for holding labels and the like on the plate, resilient means for holding the platen at a distance above the plate, and a handle connected with said platen whereby the application of pressure to the handle will force the platen against the plate and the plate against the absorbent material.

12, A moistening machine comprising a receptacle, a plate, means for resiliently supporting the plate at a distance above the receptacle, a cross bar mounted on said means, a platen supported by said cross bar above the plate, and resilient means for supporting the platen on the cross bar.

In testimonywhereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY G. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses JNO. M. RITTER, ALBERT E. Far. 

